November 20, 2018

We condemn the suicide bombing that occurred in the Afghan capital of Kabul on November 19, 2018, and particularly its occurrence on a day celebrating Mawlid al-Nabi, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Islamic scholars were gathered at the site to commemorate the life of the Prophet, known to over 1 billion Muslims worldwide as a sign of mercy to humanity. Terrorists continue to kill Muslims more than any other group, and they continue to defile our faith with their barbarism. According to Afghan officials, the attack was one of the deadliest to strike the city in months, killing 40 people and injuring 60 more.

This attack is reflective of a deteriorating internal situation in Afghanistan. The UN released a report in July which indicated a higher number of civilian casualties between January and June than at any time over the last decade. These totals did not include the at least 34 people, predominantly teenage students, who were killed in a suicide blast this past August, nor the 20 who were victimized by two such blasts in September.

Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) is a national nonprofit working to promote and strengthen American pluralism by increasing understanding and improving policies that impact American Muslims.